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The Kapo
The Kapo is the main antagonist of the satirical dark World War II dramedy What Are Jew To Do? He is the mentally unstable and sadistic former inmate in charge of the newest work team in the concentration camp Bergen-Belsen. Background The Kapo was born in 1916 in the seaport city of Bremerhaven. Eventually, he was enlisted in the Wehrmacht, where he feverishly fought for Germany during the dawn of the second World War. He eventually became a disgraced member of the German elite, as he had allegedly murdered two German soldiers after an uncertain amount of alcohol consumption. The Kapo was sent to Bergen-Belsen in 1943, where he was an inmate for a period of time. He was not expected to live long, due to his unpredictable and disobedient behavior. However, when the SS Economic-Administration Main Office took over the camp and effectively turned it into a concentration camp, the Kapo's impressive war records were reevaluated, and he was promoted to Kapo. Ever since, he's been desperately holding on to his position, not wanting to be reduced to an inmate yet again. Personality The Kapo is first and foremost an absolute psychopath, showing nothing but spite for the inmates in Bergen-Belsen. He has adapted the Nazi Ideology 1000%, possibly in an effort to appease his officers and keep his position. While he initially attempts to appear as a calm and collected official, he quickly shows his true nature, which is a frenzied and paranoid nutcase who becomes a bloodthirsty killer at the mere sight of a Jew blinking at him. He's heavily implied to be a paranoid schizophrenic, as he feels the smallest movements by others can be made in an effort to make him "look bad". Since he was an inmate before, even Jews he views as a threat. The Kapo is endlessly trigger happy, killing every one of his victims with his trusty gun. He believes it is a symbol of power that defies the military ranks, but in the end, it becomes his undoing. The Kapo has an absolutely warped sense of morality, as he has no qualms about killing any Jew, but still believes he can appear as a charming figure in front of for instance the doctor Johanne. His insecurities are exposed in her presence, as he briefly goes to the bathroom to wash his face and fix his hair. Ultimately, he is a cripplingly self-righteous individual who sometimes views himself as the pinnacle of Nazi Germany, and other times resorts to the excuse of being "trapped" in his place wishing for freedom, whenever he does something he actually recognizes as regrettable. However, his self-pity might actually stem from a true desire to break free of the life he's living, although this concept is overruled by his vicious desires. Role Introduction to the Camp The Kapo first appears in late 1944 when the truck full of the new inmates to work at Bergen-Belsen arrives. He orders an SS guard to line them up, and the prisoners are lined up accordingly. The Kapo initially attempts to give a jovial speech about the history of Bergen-Belsen, explaining it was once a prison camp specifically for hostages and prisoners of war. He informs the new workers that he's in charge of their work team, but notices one of the Jews looks especially rich. He learns this is Gabriel Herschel, a famed and important theologian, and has him sent to his own cell for better living conditions. In the middle of his speech, the Kapo suddenly snaps as he believes a Jew blinked at him solely to frustrate him. In an act of blind rage, he pulls out his gun and knocks the Jew to the ground before shooting him. Then he tries to shrug it off and orders his work team to walk to the yard in order to begin their tasks. The Kapo forces a thin inmate to carry the corpse of the Jew to the evening roll call, giving him the unofficial title of "Leichenkommando". The Kapo appears later when a frail Jewish man passes out during work hours due to exhaustion. The sadistic criminal doesn't kill him straight away, but instead forces him to stand up until he inevitably passes out again, only to be shot dead by the Kapo. During the evening roll call, the Kapo makes a point to announce this to everyone, making sure they know not to ever stop working. The Typhus Tragedy Later that evening, the Kapo receives a visit from young aspiring doctor from Münster, Johanne Winter. The Kapo quickly makes himself look presentable and then sits down with her to ask why she's here. Johanne reveals she's here to test a new form of penicillin on the inmates to try to treat the typhus epidemic that plagues Bergen-Belsen, but the Kapo instantly neglects this responsibility and tells her it's not needed. He tries justifying his actions by saying he's "trapped" in a metaphorical box, but Johanne doesn't budge. Although the Kapo is initially suspicious of the doctor and her motives, he eventually gives up and allows her to attempt to treat one ''Jew. He brings in a barely breathing "Muselmann" and makes Johanne treat him. He intently watches her as she tries to help the suffering inmate, but to her horror, the Kapo simply pulls out his gun and shoots the infected, killing him right then and there. The Kapo dryly remarks that despite her valiant efforts, she couldn't save him, and when she storms off in disgust, he angrily taunts the frail Jew from earlier, who is still standing in the middle of the yard. Threat of Demotion The next day, the Kapo wakes up the inmates in his designated barrack, but then finds two of the prisoners fighting. One of them claims the other one has stolen his shoes, while the second one asserts they are in fact his. The Kapo jokingly considers the situation, saying he'll never know who is lying, and doesn't want the person in the wrong to go unpunished. So, to solve the issue, he simply shoots them both dead. A montage ensues of the prisoners working, and during this time, a specific inmate for the first time in the film defies the Kapo. The Kapo slyly takes the prisoner's cap, throws it across the yard and tells him to fetch it. However, when the inmate tries to retrieve it, the Kapo shoots him, explaining to the SS guards that it was an "escape attempt". Kills During the course of the film, the Kapo kills; * 2 German soldiers (mentioned) * An innocent Jew during the first line-up. * A worker who passed out on the first day due to exhaustion (caused, implied). * An inmate suffering from typhus. * Two prisoners that got in a fight. * A worker that got on his nerves. * Obersturmführer Leon Kühn. * The writer Erik Althaus (fatal shot). Quotes Gallery kepo.png|Fan art of the Kapo Trivia * Even though Obersturmführer Leon Kühn has power over the Kapo and is a much more prominent figure, the Kapo takes the role as the main antagonist as he is a much bigger threat and eventually ends up killing Kühn. ** Ironically, Kühn is the one to mention the Kapo's manslaughter of 2 other Germans, foreshadowing his eventual fate. * The Kapo is a parody of dramatized nazis in World War 2 dramas. ** Furthermore, the Kapo is satirical in the larger meta narrative of the film; just as nazis tend to have a set of "rules" for being portrayed in films, so the Kapo believes he must act a specific way to keep his position. * Unlike the other characters in the film, the Kapo only ever uses his gun to kill people. * The Kapo's hypocrisy is fully exposed moments before his death. Whereas before, he complained about society for giving people no choice but to live in their "boxes", he now utilizes this concept to force his position of power above the Jewish prisoner August, thereby supporting the notion of people being separated into "boxes". This isn't enough to save him however, and he's shot by his former subordinate. 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